One of the most popular and enduring of Indonesia's great
works of literature is the tale of Panji. Unlike many other works of
Indonesian literature, the Panji tales are a product of indigenous
inspiration, rather than the reworking of themes borrowed from
elsewhere. The story originated in Java, but became popular over a
wide area of western Indonesia, Borneo and as far north as Thailand.
There are a large number of tales in the Panji story cycle, and the
genre's wide distribution and frequent appearance in old manuscripts
provide strong evidence of their former popularity.

The stories are set in ancient Java, and involve the relationships
between four kingdoms. The basis of the tales is Panji's search for his
lost love, which leads him into battle against hostile kings, as he
conquers many obstacles. After many twists and turns, the lovers are
reunited and married, and Panji returns home to succeed his father as
king of Kunipan.

The stories are set in the second half of the 11th century, but it
was probably not until the Majapahit period (13th-15th centuries)
that they became popular, and began to be regarded as a recognised
literary form. The kingdom of Majapahit was, by this time,
prosperous and powerful, and Javanese culture, along with the Panji
tales, spread to the nearby islands.

Bali was the first place where the story was developed, and was
recorded on palm leaf manuscripts (lontar). The story was expanded,
reaching its longest form in the 18th century poem, Malat. The Panji
tales were also carried to the Malay-speaking areas of southern
Kalimantan, south Sumatra, and to the east coast of the Malay
Peninsula, to Kelantan where they were written as hikayat, a Malay
prose form intended for recitation to an audience by a storyteller. In
Java they exist in Middle Javanese in a form called kidung, which has
been preserved in Bali; and in classical Modern Javanese, the macapat
verse form.

a mask of Panji, from an old Jogjakarta set of
masks now in the National Museum, Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo by Tara Sosrowardoyo

The Panji literature also finds expression in various dramatic
forms, where episodes are performed; the shadow play (wayang
kulit); dance drama (wayang wong); and classic drama of Bali, the
gambuh, for example. Scenes are depicted artistically in the wayang
beber and on temple reliefs. Many of the manuscripts in which the
Panji stories are written are also beautifully illustrated.

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